Chapter 66

□ Kingdom of Alter - Gideon Manor

The first street of the Duel City Gideon is where the Adventurers' Guild, the Knights' Barracks, and various government offices are clustered.

The manor of Gideon, governed by the Earl of Gideon, is built adjacent to the Knights' Barracks.

However, at first glance, it would be difficult to tell where the manor ends and the barracks begin.

This is because the manor is as sturdy and modest as the barracks.

While Gideon is a wealthy city, its splendor lies in the arena and the market.

The first Earl of Gideon believed that building a lavish castle would not fit the city, and thus made his residence a robust and sturdy mansion.

However, due to the need to accommodate the royal family for events like the imperial inspection, a grand guesthouse was eventually built as an annex.

Thus, the manor consisted of a modest main building and a luxurious annex, but in the main office, three people were currently looking troubled.

One was the young Earl of Gideon, Ash Valley Gideon.

Another was the Deputy Commander of the Royal Guard, Saint Knight Lilianna Grandria.

The last one was the Second Princess of the Kingdom of Alter, Elizabeth S. Alter.

These were some of the most important figures in the city, even among the Tians present.

"So, the elder sister will not be coming, then?"

"Yes. According to the communication, she fell ill and could not recover in time to depart. It seems there is an <Epidemic> in the capital."

Earl Gideon relayed the message received via communication magic from the capital to Elizabeth and Lilianna.

The Second Princess, Elizabeth, was in Gideon for the grand event, the <Super-Class Clash>, which was to be held tonight.

Originally, the First Princess, who was the acting monarch, was also supposed to attend.

However, that seemed unlikely now.

"<Epidemic>, huh..."

Lilianna, though covering her mouth, had a face that looked as if she had bitten into a bitter pill.

An <Epidemic> is a general term for a disease that suddenly breaks out and spreads regardless of one's strength. It is recognized as a widespread event in <Infinite Dendrogram> that occurs irregularly.

Various types of <Epidemics> spread in regions, affecting many Tians and Masters alike.

While some diseases can be cured over time, others require specific vaccines or high-level recovery magic.

Fortunately, the <Epidemic> that spread in the kingdom this time was not life-threatening and had symptoms similar to a mild cold.

However, the <Epidemic> affects everyone, regardless of their original status or resistance. Even high-level Masters end up bedridden or logged out until the disease runs its course.

It was an unpredictable natural disaster, and it was fortunate that the damage was limited to this extent.

However, for Earl Gideon, who was to host the event today, it was a matter of frustration.

Lilianna felt the same way.

"..."

Lilianna knew how hard Elizabeth had been working since arriving in Gideon.

Even though she had caused a commotion by sneaking out during the day, she had worked diligently upon returning and continued to do so today.

All of this was to welcome her beloved sister.

As someone who had a younger sister, Lilianna felt a pang of sympathy for Elizabeth.

But then,

"Alright! I understand!"

Elizabeth looked at the two of them in turn and spoke with determination.

"It's a shame, but what's done is done! We should focus on making tonight's event a success! Isn't that right, Earl Gideon?"

"Yes!"

This was Elizabeth's resolve.

Even if her beloved sister could not come, she would fulfill her duties.

She believed that doing so would be the best way to support her sister.

"Your Highness..."

Her attitude was the same as it had been a few days ago, yet it was slightly different.

She seemed a bit more mature.

(Maybe something happened while she was out yesterday?)

As she thought this, Elizabeth took Lilianna's hand in both of hers.

"Lilianna, I'm counting on you for the escort."

"...Yes! I will protect you no matter what happens."

Thus, she also resolved to fulfill her duties.

At that moment,

"An urgent message has arrived from the capital!"

A voice was heard from outside the room, accompanied by a knock.

It was the voice of a knight who served the Earl.

"Come in!"

"Excuse me!"

When Earl Gideon allowed entry, the knight came in immediately, looking quite flustered.

"What is it?"

"The third prince of the Tsanglong Empire, who was to visit from the Yellow River, cannot come due to the <Epidemic>!"

"What!?"

Earl Gideon was taken aback.

With the series of troubles, he felt as if a domino effect was collapsing just before setting a new record. (It's worth noting that while <Infinite Dendrogram> doesn't have actual dominoes, it has similar games.)

At the same time, a new worry crossed his mind.

"Could it be that even Mr. Xunhua...?"

If that were the case, the event would be a complete disaster.

"No, Mr. Xunhua is fine. He is bringing the Yellow River Empire's ambassador, Ms. Lan Meihai, as a proxy and will arrive in Gideon shortly."

Earl Gideon let out a sigh of relief.

He had been worried, but if that was the case, the event should proceed without issues.

(Still, since I took over the territory, it's been one trouble after another. The only silver lining is that the event can be held safely and the Gouz Maze bandits, a long-standing problem from my father's time, have been eliminated.)

The <Super-Class Clash> was an event to celebrate the resolution of the Gouz Maze bandit problem and to boost morale.

The young Earl of Gideon hoped that this event would serve as a catalyst to resolve some of the issues in his territory and, by extension, in the kingdom.

"There is one more thing I must inform you of."

"More?!"

"Yes. The acting monarch, the First Princess, and the third prince of Tsanglong will visit Gideon after the <Epidemic> subsides. Additionally, the Second Princess will remain in Gideon until then."

"Huh? Ah, I see."

When he heard this, Earl Gideon had three thoughts.

First, "I need to prepare for their arrival again."

Second, "They will wait until the <Epidemic> subsides to avoid bringing it to Gideon."

Third, "If the Second Princess is to stay for a longer period, I need to be more cautious."

However, Lilianna, who overheard this, had a fourth thought.

(The event ends tonight. Why is the First Princess coming to this city? And why is she leaving the Second Princess here?)

She was curious about the reason.

Earl Gideon interpreted this as a delay of what was supposed to happen today.

However, for Lilianna, the question was "Why?"

The main reason for the First Princess and the third prince to visit Gideon was the <Super-Class Clash>, which was only happening tonight.

There was no need for them to come after that.

Originally, Lilianna had been skeptical.

Considering that this was the largest event in Gideon's history, one royal family member should have been sufficient.

Moreover, it was unusual for a prince from another country to visit just for this event.

(There must be something I'm not being told.)

Since the war six months ago, the First Princess had been distancing herself from the Royal Guard. Therefore, Lilianna, who commanded the Royal Guard, had not been informed of the First Princess's intentions.

Thus, she lacked the information to make an accurate guess.

However, Lilianna had a strong feeling that something significant was hidden behind this.

◇◆

□■ Capital of Alter - Guest House

In a corner of the noble district of the capital of Alter, in one of the rooms of the guest house where visitors from other countries are welcomed, there were three people.

The first was a young boy lying in bed with a mask on. An ice pack was placed on his forehead, and he occasionally coughed, indicating symptoms similar to a cold.

The second was a young woman standing beside the bed, looking worried and fussing over the boy. She wore thick glasses, giving her a somewhat timid impression.

The third was a towering figure, so tall that he almost touched the ceiling. The room, which was unusually high for a bedroom, was over four meters tall, but the other two seemed not to notice this oddity.

The three were the third prince of the Yellow River Empire, Tsanglong, the Yellow River Empire's ambassador, Lan Meihai, and the Yellow River Empire's <Super-Class>, [Corpse Immortal] Xunhua.

"Cough... I'm sorry, Mr. Xunhua. I wanted to support you, but... cough... it seems I can't..."

"Don't push yourself. Take your time to rest."

Xunhua sighed deeply behind the talisman covering his face.

"I also find it strange. But I'm glad you're not sick, Mr. Xunhua, since you have work to do."

"Ah, um... Your Highness, should I change the ice pack or get you an apple...?"

"Ambassador, you've changed the ice pack five times in an hour, and I just peeled an apple for you."

Xunhua scolded Meihai, who was overly flustered by the sudden illness of the prince.

"By the way, not only the prince but also the queen of this country is sick, right? That's why the prince's official duties were canceled?"

"Xunhua-sama, that's not correct! It's the First Princess, not the queen!"

"...Isn't it the same thing?"

"No, it's different! In terms of diplomacy, there are many differences! First of all..."

Meihai gestured as if protesting or giving a lecture.

Though her gestures were childlike, she was from a prestigious family and an excellent diplomat.

She was a capable woman in public settings.

However, it was questionable for her to be in the same room as the prince in this manner...

"Hehe, Meihai-san is still the same... cough..."

The prince himself seemed to tolerate this.

He called her "Meihai-san," but she was not of royal blood.

Her mother had been Tsang's wet nurse, making them like siblings.

Xunhua and Meihai were the only people Tsang trusted enough to be in this room, while the other attendants and officials waited in another room.

"Cough... That's right, Mr. Xunhua... shouldn't we be heading to Gideon soon...?"

Tsang looked at the clock in the room and said this.

The event was to start in about three hours.

Under normal circumstances, it would be impossible to reach Gideon, which was over a day's journey by dragon carriage.

However, everyone in the room knew that this was not a problem.

"...What about your escort?"

"I'm fine. Yes, I'm a bit unwell, but I can manage on my own..."

"Don't be silly. It's dangerous. ...Hold out your hand."

At Xunhua's urging, Tsang extended his hand.

Xunhua placed a gemstone—a [Jewel]—in his palm.

"Mr. Xunhua?"

"This is a spare [Jewel] with the ones we don't plan to use in the match."

"But in the match..."

"In the match, you can only use those within your capacity. Keep it."

Xunhua said this and made Tsang hold the [Jewel].

He did this with his claw-like fingers, but it was done gently, without hurting Tsang.

"...I'll keep it, Mr. Xunhua."

"Ah."

After exchanging words, Xunhua walked to the window.

He skillfully opened it with his claw-like fingers and clapped his hands.

An attendant rushed in from outside the room, looking flustered.

"What's wrong! Your Highness! Mr. Xunhua!?"

Ignoring the confused attendant, Xunhua extended his hand.

He stretched his metal arm, which was about five meters long, and grabbed Meihai.

"Eh?"

"Let's go, Ambassador. We'll head to Gideon. Don't bite your tongue, okay?"

With that, Xunhua bent his body,

"Mr. Xunhua? I haven't prepared, I haven't prepared my mind aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh